Before The Nightmare
by DoomsDarkSide
Summary: This is the story before The Nightmare Before Christmas started and Jack is in college. This is my first story, so I hope you like it!
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any Nightmare Before Christmas characters mentioned in Tim Burton's enchanting movie. But I do own Fallon (©DoomsDarkSide) and Christian (©DoomsDarkSide), SO BACK OFF! THEY'RE MINE!  
  
Chapter 1: The Meeting  
  
BRING, BRING, BRING! CLANK! Jack's alarm clock fell onto the floor. Jack turned to the see the time. Well, he thought to himself, it's another day of hell again, just like every week. He cracked his neck and knuckles and walked to get ready for another day of long, boring seminars at the local college. As he came down the stairs he spotted his roommate (and best friend), Christian, reading the paper. Christian is so lucky, he thought. He's smart, talented, and funny.  
  
"Jack, did you buy the coffee this week you went to the store? I know there's worm's wart, but I didn't see the coffee." Christian pondered.  
  
"Top shelf to the left, " Jack mumbled. Oh how he hated his boring schedule, which was similar to a circle. It was always continuing, never ending, and always the same. How he hated Mondays! The only thing worse than Mondays was writing the sixteen page essays that his teacher, Mr. Warton, assigned. Wait, essays? That reminds me, Jack thought. Was there an essay Mr. Warton assigned for today? Jack scrambled through his thoughts, trying to find an answer. Nothing. He couldn't remember.  
  
"Um.. Chris?" Jack asked. "Did we happen to have an essay due today for the Wart?" (Nobody liked Mr. Warton, therefore they called him "The Wart". If you were to see him, you'd get a really good idea of why the did call him that.)  
  
"Yeah. Duh, remember?" Chris said in a very drone voice. You could tell that at 7:00 a.m. that he didn't want to be bothered. "It was supposed to be 20 pages, written out on the scroll paper, about the history of 'The Day of the Dead' that takes place in Mexico. You had to say the history, who it was started by, why they celebrate it, what is significant about it, describe a symbol of it, and.."  
  
"That was due today? I thought he said it was due next week. And he assigned that only last week!"  
  
"Jack, he assigned it three weeks ago. He even mentioned it in the beginning of the year. Remember? He gave us that hand out of all the essays we were supposed to write. I quote The Wart, 'You may start your essays early by going the library and getting research on the following topics. But after that topic's lecture you may have to edit it'. But, in case you're still wondering, it's due tomorrow not today."  
  
"How am I supposed to write a 20 page essay by tomorrow before 8:00 in the freaking morning?"  
  
"What classes do you have today?" Chris asked.  
  
"History with the Wart, literature, preparation class, and then after that I have an art class. Why?"  
  
"I have all the same, minus the art class, that you do. I'll give you today's notes so you can go finish that paper in the school library. It's no problem. HEY! You bought my favorite coffee." Chris took a big sip of coffee. "Oh, that's good. I was going to tell you something but now I completely forgot. What was I going to tell you?"  
  
BRRRING! The telephone rang. Jack answered it. "Hello? Oh hey. Uh huh. Yeah I'm fine. You? Yeah. No. Ha, that's a good one. Yeah. Sure, hold on." Jack covered the mouthpiece on the phone and motioned to Chris to take the phone. "It's Fallon," he whispered. "She wants to talk to you about something tonight."  
  
"Oh! Fallon!! Give me the phone please!!" Chris looked excited. He met Fallon in the restaurant at the college after class one day about three months ago. Now they were dating and were inseparable. Chris took the phone and started talking to his girlfriend. "Hey you! Good. Yes, it's still on tonight. Of course I didn't forget! You're too cute to forget. Yeah, I'm serious. Well, I have to get going to class, so I'll see you during drama class. I'll talk to you later. Love you too. Bye my rose." He hung up the phone. "Now I remember what I was going to say! Tonight Fallon and I are going out to eat then to see a film, so you'll have the house to yourself. Just make sure if you leave that you lock the door. And I'll leave your notes on the kitchen counter. Well I'm off. I'll talk to you later. See you, Jack."  
  
"Bye Chris. Oh and by the way, thanks for getting those notes for me. I owe you. Have fun tonight."  
  
"No problem. We're buds, it all works out. Just make sure you lock the door. Repeat what I just said."  
  
"Lock the door, got you."  
  
"Ok, ha." Chris smiled. "I'll see you later." With that, Chris walked out, closing the door behind him, with coffee in one hand and his book bag over one shoulder. He had a dreamy look on his face.  
  
Man, Chris is lucky, Jack thought. He has brains, humor, AND a girlfriend. Oh well, I better write that paper. Jack picked up his backpack, got his coffee, and walked out the door. About ten feet out in the dorm hallway, he ran back to go lock the door. Mental Note: I need to remember to lock the door, he thought to himself. As he walked out of the apartment, the cool autumn breeze tickled him from under his nose. He walked about a mile until he finally came onto the school grounds. Ten minutes later he was in the library. Man, I should've bought a shuttle pass, he thought. I'll buy one for next semester. He walked over to the front desk and asked the lady, "Do you have any books on the Mexican holiday 'The Day of the Dead'?"  
  
"Certainly we do," said the plump woman who resembled a carved, and strange jack-o-lantern. She smiled. "Right over there by the other reference books. I'll give you the call number for the book with the most information. It's the one that everyone has been using. The call number is 920-112. Hope you find everything you need." She pointed to the last shelve in the far left corner of the room. Jack walked back to go find the book.  
  
He found it easily and flipped through the pages to see if it contained everything he needed. Well, he thought sarcastically, 980 pages. That should be enough, I think. He carried it to a table and got out his pencil, notebook, and the sheet that explained what he should write about. He looked at the grandfather clock just to his right. 8:43 a.m., it said. Well, here goes nothing. And with that, he took notes. About two hours later, he left his quiet table in the library to go buy some scroll for his final draft at the school supplies shop. He told the library keeper that he was going to the school store, signed out, and walked down the left hallway out of the library.  
  
He walked down to the end of the hallway and to the last door on the right. He entered the door, just to see he was in a foyer and opened the next door. Right when he walked into the store he could see why it was covered with two doors and away from the library. Heavy metal music was blasting and about 15 people were in the store. Noise, he thought, pure noise. Suddenly he realized that he was part of that noise, and that heavy metal was his favorite music. Feeling guilty, he walked to the back to find some scroll. He picked up a case that was supposedly "recommended" by The Wart and chose a 40 pack. As he was walking up the front desk he stopped to buy a pen. The cashier rang up the items. "$15.00," she said. Jack dug through his pockets. He had a ten-dollar bill, and that was for his lunch. Luckily, he found his student I.D. Anything you charged on your I.D. would just go on your tuition bill every semester. Thank god for those things.  
  
"I'll just put it on my I.D." he said. The cashier, who had some awesome spikes around her neck, scanned his I.D. and put everything in a bag. Jack left the store and walked back to the library. He signed back in and started working on his paper. At 12:00 he had about a page and a half left to write. They stopped serving lunch at the discount price at 12:45. So he signed out again and walked down to the college restaurant. He quickly got some soup (Frog's Breath, of course) and some more coffee. Since the restaurant was about a five-minute walk, he figured he could drink his soup and coffee on the way back.  
  
He finished his lunch, and threw it in the garbage, signed back into the library and finished the last of his paper. Jack neatly put the completed paper in to his backpack and started his way off. But he swiveled around, remembering that he needed to put the book he borrowed back. While he walked back to the shelf he started to think who he could get art class notes from. He squatted down, put the book back onto the shelf and quickly turned around. As he turned around, he knocked into someone and they both fell to the floor. Jack looked up. This person he had just knocked into was a beautiful girl. She had long red hair, and a patchwork dress. She was so beautiful.  
  
"Are you ok?" he asked and helped her up.  
  
"Yeah. I think so," this beautiful creature replied. "What book are you holding? Because the one I need isn't here"  
  
"It's the 'Day of the Dead' book. It's about Mexico's holiday. Yeah, I needed to do a paper." Jack stuttered.  
  
"Hey, that's the book I needed." Jack handed her the book. "Oh! I didn't get to introduce myself," she reached out her hand. "I'm Sally. What's your name?"  
  
"I'm Jack. Here you go." He handed her the book.  
  
"Thanks." She smiled. What a beautiful smile.  
  
Wow, she's beautiful. Jack thought to himself. I really wish I could talk to her and get to know her more. I wish I could see her again too. He watched Sally walk to the table where he once sat. As he tried to leave, he realized he couldn't with out saying goodbye. He walked back to see Sally and said, "I'm sorry. But are you free tonight? It's just I'd really like to see you again. I know you probably don't want to talk to me or even see me again, but if we could go out for coffee or see a movie or something, I think we'd have a lot of fun."  
  
Sally's emerald eyes glared at him. She smiled. "I'd love to."  
  
Jacks heart jumped. 


	2. Chapter 2: The Date

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any Nightmare Before Christmas characters mentioned in Tim Burton's enchanting movie. But I do own Fallon (©DoomsDarkSide) and Christian (©DoomsDarkSide), SO BACK OFF! THEY'RE MINE!  
  
Chapter 2: The Date  
  
"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. . ." Sally flinched each time she plucked her eyebrows. Tonight she was seeing Jack, a guy she met in the school library today. His picture kept flashing in her wandering mind. She liked him. To her, he was handsome. But what was he like on the inside? The question left her with the same answer each time she asked: "I don't know."  
  
Sally finished and decided to take a shower. After her shower was done, she wrapped the fluffy towel around herself and walked over to her closet. She glared inside. "OK. I'm not wearing that or that or that. Ok, definitely not that. What the hell is that? Great, now I'm screwed. I have nothing to wear."  
  
Just then, her roommate Fallon walked into the dorm. Fallon was very pretty. Fallon was a petite rag doll with flowing long blonde hair and fluttering eyelashes. She was graceful and elegant. Oh, Sally thought, I'd give anything to be like her.  
  
"Whoa, Sally," Fallon said. "There's no nudist colony here. So if you're going to do that, go on the west side of Halloween Town. You know, the side with the vampires and bearded lady and the . . ."  
  
"Ha ha, very funny," Sally said sarcastically. "For your information I'm going on a date tonight. Well, I was. I don't know if I am anymore. I have nothing to wear."  
  
"Sally, you have a date? I didn't know you dated."  
  
"Yeah, I was going to go on a date, but as I've said, I have nothing to wear."  
  
"Here you can borrow something of mine. I'll pick out the perfect outfit for you. I have a date tonight too, but Chris and I are going to a poetry reading. So we don't have to dress up. OK, so you need the prefect outfit. Where are you and your date going?"  
  
"Out to dinner, then for a walk in the park." Sally sounded nervous.  
  
"Aww! OK, so not too fancy, yet classy. Hmm. Aha! I have the perfect thing!" Fallon pulled out a black dress. It had spaghetti string straps and it was a little shorter than knee length. Sexy, yet classy, Sally thought. Fallon then pulled out some pantyhose and some black heels. "Sally, put the dress, pantyhose, and shoes on. I'm going to do your hair and make up." Fallon applied a soft shade of blue to Sally's eyelids and tinted her lips a soft hue of pink. She then brushed out Sally's long, deep red hair and straightened it. "Finished. I have to go now; I'll talk to you later. You look lovely!"  
  
"Thanks Fal!"  
  
"No problem. See you later." Fallon ran out the door and shut it behind her.  
  
Sally gazed into the mirror. That's me, she told herself. Wow, I really am beautiful.  
  
MEEOW! The doorbell rang. Sally answered it. After she opened the door Jack stood there in awe of Sally's beauty. His mouth hung open. Sally giggled. "Hello," she said softy.  
  
"You look beautiful." Jack said, voice quivering. And with that they walked to the restaurant. It was called Chez Shadow. After they were seated and ordered Jack said, "So, what are you interested in?"  
  
"I love fine arts." Sally replied.  
  
"Me too!" Jack smiled.  
  
"Really? I'm more into photography."  
  
"Yeah, I like the drawing aspect."  
  
"That's so cool." Sally sipped her water.  
  
Jack just smiled. About an hour and a half later, they knew each other very well and left the restaurant to take a walk in the park. "So." Jack said and glanced at Sally. "Are you cold?"  
  
"Just a little." Sally shivered. She glanced at Jack, who then handed her his torn, black jacket and put his arm around her. Sally smiled. "Thank you," she whispered.  
  
"So Sally, tell me about your dating life. A beautiful rag doll like yourself must have a lot of boyfriends."  
  
"No. I'm not really into dating, honestly. I only accept offers to dates if I know I'll like the person. So far, you're the only person with an offer I've accepted. You think I'm a stalker now, right?"  
  
"Not at all!! I'm the first? No way. I'm flattered! Why me?" Jack stared intensely at Sally.  
  
"Because." she trailed off. "Let's go on that bridge over there." She pointed to the moonlit bridge over the stream in the park.  
  
"OK," Jack said. As they started to walk he continued, "But you didn't answer my question." They now stood on the top of the bridge. He looked into Sally's beautiful emerald eyes. They were like deep pools of beauty.  
  
"Because I know I'd like you. My heart told me so." She blushed and looked down.  
  
Jack put his thin finger under her chin and brought it up. He gently kissed her and she tilted her head. "Well, I just did what my heart told me to do too." He smiled. Sally wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her lips to his again, this time for a real kiss; again and again.  
  
Jack brought Sally home to her apartment.  
  
"Well, this is where a beautiful, enchanting night comes to an end." Sally said.  
  
"I guess so." Jack gazed into her eyes. "Have a good night and sweet dreams."  
  
"I will." Sally pulled him close for one quick kiss and smiled. "Good bye." She slipped something into his coat pocket and closed the door gently.  
  
Jack looked at the paper (discovering it was her phone number) and left.  
  
Sally walked into the room and saw Fallon curled up in her armchair with a poetry book and a warm mug of hot cocoa.  
  
"How did it go?" Fallon asked excitedly.  
  
"Absolutely wonderful!" Sally said. With that, she closed her bedroom door, lay down in her bed, and basked in her dreams of the wonderful night. Hopefully, there will be another night like it. 


End file.
